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Helminths of wintering geese in Texas.

Ten Canada geese (Branta canadensis), 24 snow geese (Chen caerulescens) and 22 white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) from coastal Texas (USA) were examined for helminths. Three cestode, seven nematode, and three trematode species were collected. Gizzard nematodes (Amidostomum anseris, A. spatulatum and Epomidiostomum crami) infected 53 of 54 birds. Gross lesions were not attributed to helminth infections and the host population does not appear to be impaired by them.

Animals↗

Analysis of serum and whole blood values in relation to helminth and ectoparasite infections of feral pigs in Texas.

In the summers of 1996 and 1997, 60 wild pigs (Sus scrofa) were necropsied from three sites in south Texas (USA) to test the hypothesis that serum and whole blood parameters vary significantly (P < or = 0.05) with the prevalence and intensity of parasites infecting wild pigs. We found ten parasite species: five nematodes (Metastrongylus salmi, Metastrongylus pudentotectus, Stephanurus dentatus, Oesophagostomum dentatum, and Physocephalus sexalatus); four ixodid ticks (Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma maculatum, Amblyomma americanum, and Dermacentor variabilis); and one trematode (Fascioloides magna). Among juvenile pigs, the intensity of the four species of ticks, collectively, was negatively correlated (P < or = 0.05) with whole blood principal component number one (PC-1); this factor was positively associated with lymphocytes and eosinophils. Lungworm intensity (Metastrongylus spp.) among adult pigs was negatively correlated (P < or = 0.05) with whole blood PC-2; this factor was negatively associated with segmented neutrophils and monocytes. There were no significant correlations found between parasite prevalences and either serum or whole blood principal component factors. The correlations observed between parasite intensities and serum and whole blood parameters generally were weak. Thus, we found no strong evidence that serum and whole blood parameters provided good predictive information on parasite infections in wild pigs for most practical management decisions.

Age Factors↗

Infectious disease survey of lesser prairie chickens in north Texas.

Lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) abundance, like that of most grassland birds, has declined rangewide for decades. Although habitat loss and degradation are likely ultimate causes for this decline, infectious agents, particularly microparasites, could be proximate contributors. No surveys of pathogenic bacteria or viruses have been published for this species. We surveyed 24 free-living lesser prairie chickens from Hemphill County, Texas (USA), for evidence of exposure to Salmonella typhimurium, S. pullorum, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, M. synoviae, Chlamydophila psittaci, and the avian influenza, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, and reticuloendotheliosis viruses. Two of 18, and eight of 17 samples were seropositive for the Massachusetts and Arkansas serotypes of infectious bronchitis virus, respectively. Five of the eight positive individuals were juveniles, two of which were seropositive for both serotypes. All other serologic and genetic tests were negative. Because the ecological significance of these results is unknown, the pathogenesis, transmission, and/or population-level influences of infectious bronchitis and related avian coronaviruses for lesser prairie chickens deserves further study.

Animals↗

Spatial and temporal changes in prevalence of a cloacal cestode in wintering waterfowl along the Gulf Coast of Texas.

The cloacal cestode Cloacotaenia megalops is one of the most common helminths of waterfowl. We investigated the effect of this parasite on the body condition of wintering waterfowl populations and compared prevalence among age-sex classes, over time and between habitat types on the upper Gulf Coast of Texas (USA) from October 1986-February 2000. Greater than 9,500 birds of 25 waterfowl species were examined for the parasite. There was no statistical difference (P > 0.05) in body condition between birds with and without the parasite. Average prevalence was lowest for geese (mean = 3.7%) versus 21 to 71% in duck species. Average prevalence was similar (P = 0.81) between diving ducks (mean = 46.9%) and puddle ducks (mean = 43.9%). Prevalence varied among age-sex classes and was related to sex rather than age. Variation among age-sex classes suggests differences in diet between sexes of duck species on the wintering grounds. There was no evidence for declining prevalence over the wintering period. Prevalence differed (P < 0.05) between collection sites, and thereby habitat types, for several species. Temporal trends indicate stable prevalence of C. megalops for diving ducks and increasing prevalence for puddle ducks. The increasing trend for puddle ducks may indicate declining habitat conditions resulting in increased exposure to the intermediate ostracod host.

Age Distribution↗

Avian influenza viruses and paramyxoviruses in wintering and resident ducks in Texas.

Cloacal swabs were collected from teal (Anas crecca, Anas cyanoptera, Anas discors), mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) and northern pintail (Anas acuta) in Brazoria County, Texas, USA, during February 2001, mottled ducks during August 2001, and blue-winged teal (A. discors) during February 2002. Prevalence of avian influenza virus (AIV) infections during each sampling period were 11, 0, and 15%, respectively. The hemagglutinin (H) subtypes H2 and H7 were detected in both years, while the H8 subtype was detected in 2001 and the H1 subtype was detected in 2002. Avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) was isolated from 13% of mottled ducks sampled in August 2001 and 30.7% of teal in February 2002. The season of isolation of both viruses and the majority of the AIV subtypes detected in this study are not typical based on previous reports of these viruses from North American ducks.

Animals↗

Possible vector dissemination by swift foxes following a plague epizootic in black-tailed prairie dogs in northwestern Texas.

To determine whether swift foxes (Vulpes velox) could facilitate transmission of Yersinia pestis to uninfected black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies by acquiring infected fleas, ectoparasite and serologic samples were collected from swift foxes living adjacent to prairie dog towns during a 2004 plague epizootic in northwestern Texas, USA. A previous study (1999-2001) indicated that these swift foxes were infested almost exclusively with the flea Pulex irritans. Black-tailed prairie dogs examined from the study area harbored only Pulex simulans and Oropsylla hirsuta. Although P. irritans was most common, P. simulans and O. hirsuta were collected from six swift foxes and a single coyote (Canis latrans) following the plague epizootic. Thus, both of these canids could act as transport hosts (at least temporarily) of prairie dog fleas following the loss of their normal hosts during a plague die-off. All six adult swift foxes tested positive for antibodies to Y. pestis. All 107 fleas from swift foxes tested negative for Y. pestis by mouse inoculation. Although swift foxes could potentially carry Y. pestis to un-infected prairie dog colonies, we believe they play only a minor role in plague epidemiology, considering that they harbored just a few uninfected prairie dog fleas (P. simulans and O. hirsuta).

Animals↗

Helminths of sympatric striped, hog-nosed, and spotted skunks in west-central Texas.

Twenty-eight hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus leuconotus), 23 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), and nine spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis) from an area of sympatry in west-central Texas were examined for helminth parasites. Shared helminth species among all three host species were one nematode (Physaloptera maxillaris), two acanthocephalans (Pachysentis canicola, Macracanthorhynchus ingens), and one cestode (Mathevotaenia mephitis). Two nematodes (Gongylonema sp. and Filaria taxidaea) occurred in both the striped and hog-nosed skunks. One nematode (Filaroides milksi) and one acanthocephalan (Oncicola canis) were collected only from C. leuconotus. The most common helminth infections for striped and hog-nosed skunks were P. maxillaris and P. canicola. Helminth species richness was highest in hog-nosed skunks, but striped skunks had the highest prevalences and intensities of all the common helminth species. The helminth fauna of spotted skunks was markedly depauperate in terms of species richness and helminth abundance compared to the other two host species. Differences in helminth communities across these three sympatric skunks may be related to differences in their relative abundance, behavior, food habits, and geographic range.

Animals↗

New vs. old antipsychotics: the Texas experience.

A study was conducted in Texas state psychiatric facilities of 299 patients with schizophrenia who were taking clozapine, comparing them with 223 matched controls taking traditional neuroleptics. From 12 months before until 54 months after clozapine was begun, hospital bed days and the associated costs were determined for both groups. The clozapine group had appreciably fewer hospital bed days throughout the study period. Substantially fewer clozapine-treated patients than neuroleptic-treated patients required 180 continuous days of hospitalization during the study. By 48 months after initiation of clozapine, hospital inpatient costs were $27,850/patient/year lower in the clozapine group than in the traditional neuroleptic group. Agranulocytosis occurred in < 1% of patients taking clozapine; all recovered quickly. In a separate study, clozapine therapy was shown to produce a 5-fold decrease in the rate of suicide among patients with schizophrenia. Administration of clozapine appears to lower the overall cost of treating schizophrenia by reducing the costs associated with hospitalizations.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

Organochlorine pesticide residues in plain Chachalacas from South Texas, 1971-72.

Plain chachalacas (Ortalis vetula) from the intensively cultivated and sprayed Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas were analyzed for pesticide residues during 1971 and 1972. Residues of eight organochlorine pesticides and a polychlorinated biphenyl were identified in fat tissues of specimens collected from four study areas. Chemicals detected in all 24 birds and average residue levels (+/- SD) in ppm wet weight were: DDT (1.52 +/- 4.12), DDE (2.48 +/- 2.09), dieldrin (0.23 +/- 0.59), endrin (0.13 +/- 0,52), and Aroclor 1248 (0.17 +/- 0.20). Residue levels varied considerably, but the majority of the fat tissues contained significantly less than 1 ppm of these chemicals. Because birds of this species feed primarily on unsprayed native fruits rather than on sprayed crops, they adsorb very few pesticides through their diet. Although birds from exposed areas near cultivated field had generally higher residues than had birds from less exposed areas, these herbivores generally had much lower residues than would most birds living near heavily treated lands. During the present study there was no evidence that plain chachalacas died as a direct result of exposure to agricultural chemicals, nor was there evidence that eggshells of this species have thinned significantly since 1900.

Adipose Tissue↗

Mental health care from the public perspective: the Texas Medication Algorithm Project.

Medication treatment algorithms have been suggested as a strategy to provide uniform care at predictable costs. The Texas Medication Algorithm Project is a 3-phase study designed to provide solid data on the usefulness of medication algorithms. In phase 1, medication algorithms for the treatment of schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder were developed. Phase 2 was a feasibility study of these algorithms, and phase 3, now underway, compares the costs and outcome in 3 groups, one using a combination of an algorithm and patient/family education, a second using treatment as usual in a clinic that uses an algorithm for a different disorder, and a third using treatment as usual in a nonalgorithm clinic.

Algorithms↗

Adverse events associated with ingestion of gamma-butyrolactone--Minnesota, New Mexico, and Texas, 1998-1999.

Products containing gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) are marketed for many claimed purposes, including to induce sleep, release growth hormone, enhance sexual activity and athletic performance, relieve depression, and prolong life. GBL is converted by the body into gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a drug banned outside of clinical trials approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recognized manifestations of GHB toxicity include bradycardia, hypothermia, central nervous system depression, and uncontrolled movements. This report describes seven cases of GBL toxicity involving the product "Revivarant," which is labeled as containing 1.82 g of GBL per fluid ounce, reported from two hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Minnesota during October-December 1998 and summarizes an additional 34 cases of GBL toxicity reported to poison centers in New Mexico and Texas during October 1998-January 1999.

4-Butyrolactone↗

Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); demonstration project--DoD. Notice of the implementation and operation of a health care demonstration project for CHAMPUS beneficiaries residing in selected base realignment and closure (BRAC) sites in Texas and Louisiana.

Section 9032 of the DoD Appropriations Act, 1993, requires CHAMPUS Reform Initiative (CRI) services to begin at the BRAC sites at Austin (Bergstrom Air Force Base) and Fort Worth (Carswell Air Force Base), Texas, and Alexandria, (England Air Force Base), Louisiana, by May 1, 1993. These sites will be referred to as the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative--Selected Base Realignment and Closure Sites (hereinafter referred to as CRI--BRAC). The Alexandria site will include the Fork Polk catchment area. Objectives of CRI--BRAC are: (1) Assurance of continuing beneficiary access to care: (2) a strengthening of quality assurance activities; and (3) controlling health care costs. In addition, the pharmacy benefits provided for in section 702(b) of the 1993 Defense Authorization Act will be implemented for DoD Medicare eligible beneficiaries.

Cost Control↗

In these hallowed halls. Health care and the 73rd Texas Legislature.

The sunset review of 20 health agencies and a package of legislation addressing psychiatric, chemical dependency and rehabilitation hospitals were high profile issues during the 73rd Texas Legislature. However, funding for health and human services presented the greatest challenge to hospital advocates.

Health Policy↗

Social responsibility, politics, and fiscal viability: strategic issues in the development of a regional health care system for children in South Texas.

A case study of the proposed development of a regional children's health care system in South Texas is described. Strategic plans for the system are overviewed and the community response to plans are presented. The political, social responsibility and fiscal viability issues raised are reviewed and the research literature base relevant to the health care needs of a key (Hispanic) market is summarized.

Child↗

District court rules on Texas Health Care Liability Act.

The Health Care Liability Act, recently enacted in Texas, allows individuals to sue health insurance carriers, HMOs, and other managed care entities under certain circumstances. This article discusses the implications of the Act for managed care plans, including ERISA preemption.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act↗

Norwalk-like viral gastroenteritis in U.S. Army trainees--Texas, 1998.

During August 27-September 1, 1998, 99 (12%) of 835 soldiers in one unit at a U.S. Army training center in El Paso, Texas, were hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Their symptoms included acute onset of vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. Review of medical center admission records for AGE during the previous year indicated that fewer than five cases occurred each month. This report describes the outbreak investigation initiated on August 30 by a U.S. Army Epidemiologic Consultation Service (EPICON) team; the findings indicated the outbreak was caused by a Norwalk-like virus (NLV).

Adult↗

Audie L. Murphy Veterans Hospital, San Antonio, Texas.

With more than 80,000 beds in 172 hospitals, the United States Veterans Administration operates the largest, centrally directed health care system in the nation. Created in 1930 to coordinate all government activities concerning veterans, the VA provides health care to veterans who have service-related illnesses and injuries or those who are unable to obtain care through the usual channels. For a look at how the management of medical supplies at an individual VA hospital fits into the entire VA system, the Journal visited the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital. The largest hospital in San Antonio's South Texas Medical complex with nearly 700 beds, Audie Murphy Hospital provides a full range of inpatient, ambulatory and rehabilitation services to veterans. The hospital is the core of an extensive outpatient network that accounts for more than 180,000 outpatient visits per year.

Central Supply, Hospital↗

Chronic disease prevention in Laredo, Texas.

The Laredo-Webb County Health Department began planning a health promotion program for the prevention of chronic diseases during the late 1970s. After receiving a 4-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Department initiated the program in 1983 by conducting an epidemiologic survey in Laredo, Texas, to determine the major risk factors for chronic disease. A comprehensive health education program was then initiated to reduce the prevalence of these factors in targeted low-income neighborhoods. Health information was disseminated among the population in small neighborhood groups using a variety of techniques to promote favorable changes in health behavior. An evaluation of the program in one neighborhood 1 year later showed an overall reduction in health risk practices of approximately 10%.

Chronic Disease↗